


Spell of Binding

by NanakiBH



Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: Awkward Romance, First Time, Fuck Or Die, High Risk High Reward Fucking, Kissing, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-07-26
Packaged: 2018-07-27 00:17:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7595857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NanakiBH/pseuds/NanakiBH
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before nightfall, the truth will be revealed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spell of Binding

**Author's Note:**

> This work was for Ning, who asked for a zelloyd fuck or die fic.

“Lloyd~!” A bright voice came singing his name from the other side of the door. When the door opened, a very cheerful-looking Zelos appeared, carrying a ton of various items in his arms ranging from bouquets of flowers to boxes of chocolates and the like. Wearing a grin, he crossed the small room they were staying in and placed his armful down on the table where Lloyd was idly working.

Lloyd set down the crest he was tinkering with and couldn't help acquiring a grin like Zelos's when he met his eyes. “Jeez, what did you come back with this time? You have fans everywhere, don't you? I almost don't believe it.”

Zelos scoffed, pretending to be offended. “Hey, what do you mean 'almost'?”

Tossing his hair over his shoulder, he took a seat on the other side of the small, round table and began picking through the gifts he received from his admirers. Lloyd had told him that he should stop accepting them if he didn't need them (which he didn't) but Zelos seemed to be dependent on the validation. It was difficult to travel with tens of bouquets, but as long as they made him happy...

“Here, have a gander at this,” Zelos said. With flowers on one side of the table and edibles on the other, he pushed one unique item toward Lloyd; a thick book that looked rather old and worn out. Its leather cover was peeling and its pages were browned. The only thing keeping it together was the black strap around the middle of it. “There was this one gorgeous hunny who gave me this. She kindly bookmarked the most important page for me. I thought it was just some old, dusty book until I took a look at what was inside.”

He untied the binding around it and flipped it open to the marked page.

Lloyd leaned closer and squinted at the pages before him. “How do you know it's important? Can you even read this?” It all looked like it was written in the Elven language.

“Of course! Come on, Lloyd, look closer. There are translations on the page,” he said, tapping the very small print beside each passage. “This book is special. It might be an Elven book, but this right here is a love spell to bind me and my soulmate together forever! Here, listen.” 

Was it really? Lloyd didn't doubt that such a thing might exist, but it sounded fishy, to say the least. He couldn't understand why Zelos was so eager to believe a stranger. ...She must have been as gorgeous as he said.

Zelos cleared his throat and began to read. “ _If two lovers you should be who wish to be bound eternally, chant these words within their sight and you both shall fall before the night._ ” He paused, then looked up. “Well, that's all it says. Huh. Thought it would sound a lil' more romantic than that.”

Lloyd's skepticism was quickly becoming a bad feeling. “Hang on, give me that.” He reached over and took the book for himself, turning it around so he could read. His eyes scoured the page, checking all of that tiny fine print. As he read the tiniest of the tiny print, his eyes widened. “This is...”

“Hm? What is it, hunny?” Zelos asked, coming over to lean over the back of Lloyd's chair. “Is it already working?”

Maybe it was. That was what worried Lloyd the most. “Y-you... This isn't a love spell! Why didn't you take the time to read this?”

“I did, didn't I?”

“Not out loud!” Lloyd cried. Words were given power once they were spoken out loud. If the spell were real, then it was already too late. Zelos had accidentally activated it. “This spell is extremely dangerous. It's meant to bind you and your true love together – in _death_. It's a suicide pact!”

Zelos immediately paled. “Wh... Haha, that can't be right. Right? That gorgeous hunny gave it to me so that she and I would be together, right? There's no way anyone would have tried to trick me into...”

That 'gorgeous hunny' must have had some kind of grudge against the Chosen of Tethe'alla and planned to take him out by taking advantage of his gullibility. By the sound of it, the spell would bind Zelos to whoever he was closest to and take them both out before nightfall. It was probably perfect for lovers who desperately wanted to escape tragic circumstances, but, as far as Lloyd was aware, Zelos wasn't in that boat.

Zelos could be absentminded and sometimes he even deserved what he had coming, but it was horribly cruel for someone to trick him like that. That was going too far.

“Lloyd, I... I don't think I'm feelin' so good anymore. I think it's actually starting to take effect.” Wavering on his feet, he gripped the back of Lloyd's chair to keep himself upright. With just one glance behind himself, Lloyd could see that Zelos was already in bad shape. He was only trying to stay strong. “What am I supposed to do? There has to be a way to undo the spell. Please tell me there's a way.”

“Y-yeah, about that...” For some reason, Lloyd's eyes blurred when he took another look at the page. He rubbed at them, but the words were still blending together. “Zelos... Who would you say you're closest to?”

“Closest to?” He leaned heavily against the back of the chair, coming close enough for Lloyd to feel the warmth of his breath against his skin. It felt too hot. Searing. It was strange. “I don't know. I've got a lot of hunnies, but I'm not committed to any of them. I guess I'd say that you're my closest hunny, if I had to pick. But how's that supposed to help me?”

No wonder. Lloyd had been uncomfortably worrying about what that 'bad feeling' was going to turn into. The blurring of his eyes... The swirling of his thoughts, and the way the feeling of Zelos's breath lit up his entire body... There was no doubt about it.

Feeling an unreasonable kind of frustration, Lloyd pushed the book away. His body suddenly felt like it was burning, like he would burst into flame if he didn't relieve the irritating heat inside of him. The touch of Zelos's breath upon his skin had been the match that lit a dangerous, inescapable fire. “The spell doesn't care whether your closest hunny is a guy. Looks like you and I are going down together.”

When he turned around, he was met by Zelos's shocked expression. “ _You?_ Wait- No way. I don't want you getting involved in this too,” he said, totally losing his cool. “This was _my_ mistake. What else did the book say? There's a way to undo the spell, isn't there?”

Lloyd really didn't want to say it. The solution was too absurd. It might not have sounded so far-fetched for two people who were already in a close, romantic relationship, but he and Zelos... They weren't like that. They had been traveling together for quite a while and all of that time had brought them even closer, but they weren't _that_ close. No matter how comfortable they were in each other's presence, they had never... It just wasn't like that.

Taking a breath, Lloyd straightened himself up and tried not to lean back, afraid of what might happen if he let himself get too close to Zelos again. “It, uh... It said...” He coughed. “ _If your bodies become one, then the spell will be undone._ ”

He didn't need to look back again to know what Zelos's face must have looked like. He could hear the indignation in his voice.

“ _What?_ You're making that up.”

“Why would I make that up?!”

“I-I don't know. You tell me,” Zelos muttered. Lloyd watched as he walked away and sat on the edge of his bed. There were two, naturally. One for each of them. With a look that was part pity, part self-satisfaction, Zelos tilted his head against his shoulder and looked over at him. “Be honest, Lloyd. You made that up because you can't resist me. This might be your last chance to have a spellbinding night with yours truly.”

Narrowing his eyes, Lloyd pushed back his chair and got up. “Now's not the time for jokes. I'm being serious. I don't want to die. This might be our only option, so if you're actually that fine with doing it, then-”

“W-whoa, wait! Who said I was fine with it?” That joking attitude of his flew right out the window. At least he seemed to be realizing what a serious situation they were in. His face was totally red and he still appeared to be swaying slightly – or maybe that was just how he looked to Lloyd's unfocused eyes.

Lloyd sighed. “It's not like I want to do it either, but what choice do we have? The sun is already starting to set. That's probably why we both feel messed up. The longer we wait, the worse it's probably going to get, and then, once the sun is gone...”

“But... H-hold on. This isn't how I...”

Lloyd didn't know what he was going to say, but words weren't going to get them anywhere. “We aren't going to have time to search for an alternative. The woman who gave you the spell book must have been banking on a situation like this. You're okay with giving up and submitting to a trap like that?”

“Of course I'm not. And it's not like I can't believe someone would've tried to fool me like that, either. I know that there are still people who hate me and would rather see me dead, but... This is a little much, don't you think? I never imagined I'd be forced to lose my precious innocence like this.”

“Yeah, same here.”

...No, wait, something about what Zelos said didn't sound right.

Zelos's eyes were very wide, his smile twitching nervously. “Y-you too?”

“What do you mean 'you too'?” Lloyd asked, moving himself in front of Zelos so he could glare down at him. “What about all of those girls? You never...? Not even once?”

“Hey, it's not like you ever asked, and it's not like there was ever a reason for me to bring it up. Purity is a virtue for a Chosen, you know,” Zelos mumbled, nervously toying with the crystal on his chest.

Lloyd would've narrowed his eyes even more if he could. “Yeah right. Purity isn't one of your virtues.”

That thing he was doing with his crystal was awfully distracting...

Before Lloyd even knew what he was doing, his hand was over Zelos's. The order to move it never made it to his brain. But, even though it was sudden, it didn't feel as inappropriate as it should've. Even Zelos was just looking at him with a mild expression of surprise, like he wasn't bothered by his closeness.

Once his hand was there, he couldn't bring himself to pull it away. “So, are we going to...?” It had to be because of the spell, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to act so bold.

For some reason, Zelos was refusing to look in his direction. “Why are you asking me?”

“Look, I know it's life or death. But even if I feel like I'm losing my mind, I'm not going to force you. You know how I am – I'm honest to a fault. Even if it were to save us both, I don't think I could live with myself if I did something that hurt you.”

Though, if he were being totally, completely honest, Lloyd really hoped that Zelos was going to agree. Knowing everything Zelos had already gone through, he didn't want to add anything else to his already long list of bad experiences, but he also didn't want to watch him die for such a stupid reason. He didn't want to die either, of course, but the thought of being there and watching Zelos die with him was a thought that he didn't even want to have.

The whole situation was just too crazy and sudden. Neither of them had the time to consider what they might do if they were suddenly going to die. The most dangerous things were supposed to be behind them already.

Zelos was still looking away. “We... just gotta do it, right?”

Lloyd nodded. He could feel the warmth of Zelos's hand even through his glove. The room was already flooding with the amber light of the setting sun as the seconds slowly brought them closer to nightfall. Zelos was certainly there, alive, right under his hand, but Lloyd didn't want to risk letting that warmth escape with the sun. He already fought once to make sure that Zelos would be safe. He couldn't let that effort be swept away so easily.

“And- This isn't going to change anything with us, right?” Zelos asked, finally taking a tentative glance up at him. “I had no idea what I was doing, but that's no excuse. I can't laugh over something like this. It's my fault that we're in this mess now.”

“You don't have to act like the sky is falling.” Well, it kind of was, but that was besides the point. While he was still in charge of his thoughts, Lloyd didn't want to make Zelos feel even worse than he was already feeling. That wouldn't help them at all. He couldn't promise that it wouldn't change anything, but they'd been through too much for it to break them.

It was going to be fine.

In fact, Lloyd felt a little too fine with it, but he reminded himself that it had to be because of the spell. If it was binding them together like soulmates, then it made sense that it would give him some unusual feelings for Zelos. For the moment, he was going to live with it and try to think about it positively. If those feelings were just going to fade away later, then there was no harm in embracing them for a little while – just long enough to help them get through.

The tips of Lloyd's fingers tingled when he slipped his hand away from Zelos's. There were times when he couldn't help noticing how attractive Zelos was. He thought that just went without saying, seeing as how he had so many admirers who loved him for his looks. Lloyd figured that Zelos probably had that effect on everyone, but, now that the feeling was returning, he wondered if it was really the fault of the spell... or if the spell was amplifying a feeling that already existed.

“H-hold on a second,” Lloyd stammered, quickly walking away from the bed. There wasn't time for him to be questioning his feelings. This wasn't going to change anything; maybe a little, but nothing irreparable. They just had to do it and get it over with. Like pulling off a bandage.

He returned a moment later and held up what he brought. “This is supposed to be used for greasing tools, but it's non-toxic.”

Zelos fell back onto the bed and covered his face with his hands. “You don't have a single romantic bone in your body, do you?”

“Who said I have to be romantic? I thought this was about not dying.”

Though, once those words left his mouth, Lloyd realized what a mistake it was to say that. Zelos wasn't reacting, but he looked... hurt. He was probably disappointed that his first time was going to be ruined by someone like him. Knowing the kind of person he was, it only made sense that Zelos would want the moment to be something special and memorable. While it was bound to be memorable for reasons beyond their control, Lloyd didn't know how he was supposed to make it more special. That didn't sound like his job.

It was Zelos's fault that they were in such a predicament anyway...

How was he supposed to be romantic...?

“I take it back,” Zelos said suddenly, surprising Lloyd. He kept an arm over his eyes. “What you said before was unexpectedly cool, coming from you.”

“Which part was that?” Lloyd wondered out loud.

Zelos rolled onto his side. “Don't make me repeat it...! _You_ might've been able to say it, but it's embarrassing!”

...Said the one who was always spouting embarrassing things.

Lloyd had a feeling he knew what he was taking about, though. Zelos must have been talking about when he said he didn't want to hurt him. Even if his body felt like it was slowly falling under the control of some unseen force, everything he said up to that point was true.

Zelos must have taken those words to heart.

Feeling a little apprehensive, Lloyd knelt on the bed and leaned over him. He cautiously placed a hand on his shoulder and eased away the arm Zelos had covering his face so he could look him in the eye. “Sorry, Zelos. That was just an accident. I don't know a thing about being romantic, so I hope you don't mind if I just act like myself.”

“That's... Fine. Yeah.”

His hand was lingering a little too long, but Lloyd couldn't bring himself to pull it away. There was something oddly exciting about touching Zelos's skin. It made him feel like he was touching another human for the first time in his life. It might've just been the spell or the the knowledge of what they were about to do that made his heartbeat hasten itself into an erratic pace. He didn't feel normal, that was for sure.

And Zelos looked... Even more attractive than usual? The apprehensive expression on his face looked familiar, but it struck Lloyd in a new way when he was looking down at him.

He didn't know when he started straddling Zelos, but he suddenly found himself with his hands above his head and his knees planted on either side of his body. 

It was irritating. He had to know he wasn't alone. “Y-you feel this too, right?”

“Yeah...” Zelos mumbled, flushed from his cheeks all the way to his chest. “Whoever made that spell probably wanted to discourage couples from using it. Making them irresistibly want to get it on with each other to break the spell seems like it would work to me.” He paused for a second, pondering. “I'm kind of glad that you're the one I'm closest to. I don't want to think about what might've happened if it bound me to someone who isn't even here. How cruel would that've been?” The laugh he gave sounded bitter.

A powerful feeling filled up Lloyd's chest. “This situation might be crazy, but there's nothing I wouldn't do for one of my friends,” he assured him, grasping his arms firmly. “I absolutely won't let you die.”

Especially Zelos.

In return, he received a laugh – one that sounded much lighter than the last. “You sure you don't know how to be romantic? That was almost too much.”

Hearing him say that was embarrassing, but Lloyd knew that he didn't even have time to be embarrassed. He was more concerned with the progress of the setting sun. The longer they hesitated, the darker the room was becoming. Pretty soon, they were going to need to light a lamp. By then, it would already probably be too late for them.

The furious heat that was spreading throughout his body made Lloyd question whether he was dying or falling in love. The two feelings were nearly indistinguishable to his addled mind.

It felt like there was only one way to find out, so that was how his lips found their way to Zelos's. Before, he thought Zelos might've just been joking about wanting him to be romantic. At the back of his mind, he'd expected Zelos to slug him for doing more than what was necessary for their survival, but, instead, he felt a pair of arms being wrapped around his shoulders, gently pulling him closer.

As wild as it was, it was easy to excuse anything under the circumstances.

Slowly, Lloyd pulled away, breathing heavily.

The sight of Zelos laying beneath him with flushed skin and his red hair spread out around him was going to be an image Lloyd would never be able to erase from his mind. He didn't know where the feeling came from, but a part of him was already regretting that the spell would have to end.

With the darkness steadily encroaching upon them, Lloyd finally sat up, determined to be off with his clothes. He didn't know where to start, and he didn't know how much he should take off, but he figured that something needed to come off if they were going to get anywhere. If they were going to try to preserve their modesty, then maybe it was for the best that they remove only what was necessary. It didn't feel like he had time to worry about whether he unbuttoned every single button on the front of his jacket. His body was shouting at him as well, telling him to do _something._ A raw panic was manifesting at the back of his mind that was blurring with the drunken feeling of desperate desire.

“You too,” he instructed, moving aside slightly to allow Zelos room to remove his clothes as he pulled off his gloves.

Zelos shot him a look. “ _Huh?_ You aren't going to undress me?”

“Wh-why would I?” Lloyd shot back. However, looking at him, he did suddenly feel tempted to remove everything for him. His vision was swimming, but his eyes managed to maintain a focus on what was important – those inches of pale skin above his neckline.

Before Lloyd could say anything else, Zelos sat up and started removing his shoes and gloves. “Suit yourself, spoilsport. I'll handle things here.”

Watching Zelos removing his clothing made Lloyd's fingers itch. Realizing that he had a few seconds that he didn't expect to have before, he finally popped the buttons on his coat and tugged it off, one sleeve after the other. Even with it off, his skin was burning, his lungs aching. He pulled off his shirt as well, but the heat remained, pressing down on his chest, giving him the feeling that if he didn't touch Zelos soon, the heat within him was going to suffocate him.

With the buckle at the front of his pants undone, Zelos pushed them down his thighs along with what was underneath and slid them off all the way. Even when he was trying to move quickly, his movements motivated with purpose, Zelos managed to maintain an alluring sort of grace. Lloyd hoped that he looked half as graceful, but he could feel himself staring like an idiot.

“Y... You're hard,” he remarked dumbly, staring straight at Zelos's dick.

It wasn't like it was even his first time seeing him naked, as they'd gone to the hot springs together. The change in context was what made all the difference. Before, he was sure that he simply felt jealous of Zelos's well-manicured appearance, but he wasn't so sure about that anymore once he was sitting between his slightly parted knees. Everything about his body was tempting in a way that a girl's body wasn't. That should have bothered him. As easy as it would've been to blame all of his body's reactions on the spell's effects, it felt deeper than that. Blaming it all on the spell felt like it would have been an insult to the clearly beautiful sight in front of his eyes.

Zelos pressed the back of one heel against the small of Lloyd's back and dragged him closer, a slightly annoyed look on his face. “I can't help it. You said it yourself – it's making us feel weird. That's all it is.”

Was it, though?

Maybe it was. If Lloyd let himself think about it too deeply, he was going to get carried away. His thoughts were already starting to dip into a dangerous territory, and he didn't know if he'd be able to find his way back out again if he pondered them for too long.

Zelos was a result of excellent breeding. That was all.

They had reached the critical moment. It was literally do or die and they had only one option. As he reached for the industrial-grade lubricant he brought to the bed, Zelos sat up and helped him with his pants. Lloyd wanted to protest, but Zelos worked quickly, sliding his hand inside once he had them unfastened.

His palm felt... so hot. Distantly, Lloyd heard himself let out an embarrassing noise when Zelos's fingers closed around him. Worried that he would laugh at him, he looked down, but Zelos wasn't looking at him. His attention was solely focused on what he was doing; his eyes hazy, lips slightly parted. Zelos had also blamed the spell, but it didn't look like he hated what he was doing.

“So now, what are we supposed to do?” Lloyd asked. He had only the vaguest idea of how two men were supposed to have sex. The logical framework was there, but he didn't have a clue where to begin. That information hadn't been included in Raine's curriculum.

Zelos withdrew his hand, and Lloyd felt his face heat up when he saw what a mess he'd already left on his palm. As if to tease him, Zelos held that hand out for him. It took Lloyd a second before he realized what he was asking for, then he handed over the tube.

After quickly spreading some of it around between his fingers, Zelos glanced away and inserted them into himself. “Unfortunately, there's no time for foreplay,” he said. His eyelashes flickered as he worked his fingers around inside himself. As much as Lloyd enjoyed the show, he could tell that Zelos was only doing what he had to do. “I wonder what the spell's conditions are. Will it be enough to break it if only one of us makes it all the way?”

Probably not. If it were that easy, then they could have jerked off separately and called it a day. There was no way it could be that simple.

“There won't be any harm if we both do,” Lloyd reasoned, shrugging. “Seems more likely to work that way.”

Lifting his head, Zelos looked to the window where the sun had all but finished its descent. They'd been underestimating how quickly night would come once the sun had begun to set. He gripped the sheets and pushed up his hips, bringing himself closer to Lloyd's lap. “Th-the sun's almost gone! We gotta...!”

“Wait, but I still don't know what to do,” Lloyd said, immediately feeling a stab of panic assail his senses.

Zelos grabbed his hand and placed the tube in his palm. “Doesn't matter now. I kinda don't wanna die tonight. There are so many things I wanna do and so many things I still need to...” For some reason, he stopped what he was going to say and clenched his teeth. “N-never mind. Just do it.”

Despite the dire circumstances, Lloyd still found himself hesitating. It would've been a stupid waste of time to ask him if he was sure, though. They didn't have a choice. So, tugging his pants down a little farther, Lloyd uncapped the tube and squeezed a bit of the cold, clear gel into his palm. There was no time to breathe or even think. After nervously stroking his hand over himself once, then twice, he lined himself up and prayed.

His first thrust drew an instant response from Zelos, but it wasn't the kind Lloyd was expecting. With his inexperience, he thought he would hurt him, but Zelos's response couldn't have told a more different story. His back arched off the bed and he tightened his grip in the sheets as he turned his head aside, his eyes squeezed shut. The look on his face almost could have been mistaken for pain, but the loud, uninhibited cry that escaped his throat sounded like one of absolute pleasure.

And Lloyd... didn't know how to feel about that. His body was telling him one thing while his mind and heart were in conflict, shouting all kinds of confusing things. One feeling seemed to stand above all else.

Relief.

He was relieved that he hadn't hurt him. He was... relieved that he was already able to make him feel good.

“What are you doing?” Zelos mumbled, looking up at him with a weak expression that made Lloyd burn. “Don't stop.”

Zelos didn't have to ask him twice. Lloyd's hips were already moving. His second thrust felt even more intense and made him worry for a second that he might come too soon. There may not have been such a thing as 'too soon', ironically, but dying of embarrassment sounded just as bad to him as literally dying. Even after he'd prepared himself, Zelos was a lot tighter than Lloyd was expecting. He didn't know if the heat he felt inside of himself was just in his imagination, but the warmth inside of Zelos was real.

“You don't... _hate it_ , do you?” Zelos asked, sounding curious and somewhat worried.

His hands on Zelos's waist, Lloyd tried to steady his breathing as he looked down at him. “Hm. I don't know. Never thought I'd find myself in this position, but I can't say I hate it. I know that being the Chosen doesn't mean much to you, but I'm kind of honored,” Lloyd said, laughing in spite of the tension.

Zelos pulled his lower lip between his teeth, but he wasn't able to hide the smile that curled the corners of his lips. The spell was really something magical – it was even making Lloyd think that Zelos looked cute.

His next few thrusts made him feel the same as the first and second, pushing him dangerously close to the edge. Unconsciously, his grip on Zelos's hips tightened, but that didn't seem to bother Zelos. He twisted underneath him, shifting his hips in a way that Lloyd found encouraging. While trying to keep himself from coming, he doubted that he would be able to keep a steady pace. Every few thrusts, he needed to slow down for a moment and take a breath.

The heat in his body was steaming up the inside of his head. There was no way he would've normally found Zelos so irresistible, yet his body was drawn to him like there was an invisible thread tying them together. That thread had pierced his body and was wrapping itself around his brain and his heart, whispering to him in a convincing voice that he needed to entangle himself with Zelos for the sake of his survival.

That was probably how his lips found their way to Zelos's again. Reason didn't exist within Lloyd's head anymore as he wrapped his arms around Zelos's shoulders and pulled him close, pressing their chests together. Like a metronome, he felt something guiding his movements; the steady yet rapid pounding of Zelos's heart against his own chest. It felt so fast. Any other time, that might have made Lloyd feel concerned, but that rapid pounding of his pulse reminded him that they were alive.

Something about that simple thought struck Lloyd as profound, like it was something he'd never considered before.

The fact that the two of them met, that their lives entangled in such a way, and that they were still together felt very much like a miracle.

Zelos wasn't alone. Lloyd felt glad that he was the one the spell bound him to. He was glad that he was the one who could save him again.

“Z-Zelos,” he said weakly, pulling away from his lips. “I don't know how much longer I can hold on. This feels way too good, and I...”

He wasn't sure what else he was going to say there. There were a lot of confusing thoughts in his head and the words to describe them were right on the tip of his tongue, but he hadn't pieced them together yet. If he let them out, it might've been too soon.

Shaking his head to dismiss Lloyd's worry, Zelos tightened his arms around his back and pressed his forehead to his shoulder. Another surprisingly lewd-sounding moan made it from his mouth, and Lloyd could feel his breath against his chest. It was like Zelos didn't care anymore either. “It's fine,” he said, moving with him, anxiously lifting his hips up to meet Lloyd's thrusts. “I... Hunny, I'm almost-”

...Hearing Zelos call him that at that moment was what finally made Lloyd lose it. The self-control he'd been trying to hold on to finally slipped out of his grasp and he started thrusting harder. He could feel it approaching, but he didn't care how much longer he held out when he could tell that Zelos was going to be following right behind him.

Digging his nails into Zelos's skin, Lloyd shut his eyes tightly and let it finally hit him. When it did, it hit him so hard that it felt like it was literally forcing the spell out of his body. For a few dizzy moments, he swayed, his vision black.

As the color returned to the world around him, the fire still remained in him as he looked down at Zelos.

He looked so close, it looked like he was almost suffering. Just when Lloyd was starting to think that the effects of the spell were starting to disappear, it seized him again at the sight of Zelos panting heavily, and it sent a hot wave pulsing throughout him, from his fingertips to his toes. Cursing reason once more, he put a hand on Zelos's cock as he kept the other on his hip and began to move his hips again. It must have been adrenaline or something that allowed him to keep going.

Unable to stand the pained look on Zelos's face, Lloyd leaned down and pressed their lips together. As he stroked him faster, buried deep in him, he slipped his tongue inside his mouth and swallowed each of his stuttering gasps. His palm glided over his skin, slick with precum and what remained of the clear gel. The most vulgar noises arose between their bodies as they entangled, and Lloyd would have been crying in embarrassment had it not also roused his desire to see Zelos come.

Zelos attempted to say his name, but his words were muffled between their lips, so he just tightened his arms around him and moaned aloud in a shameless manner as he was finally taken over the edge. Lloyd released his lips and watched his face, entranced by the look of pure passion that crossed his features as his body stiffened beneath him.

Whoever else got to see that look was going to be lucky, he thought dimly.

At that point, the spell should have been broken, yet he was leaning down again, holding onto Zelos, sealing their lips together in another kiss. Whatever was happening, Zelos must have been feeling it too. His hands went to Lloyd's hair as he allowed him to deepen the kiss. They stayed that way for a while, their bodies still united as one, limbs entwined, lips pressed together, their breaths mingling.

It was by the need for air that the two of them finally parted. Lloyd apologized quietly as he pulled out, grimacing at the mess he'd made. The thought of whether he should pull out or not hadn't crossed his mind while they were in the heat of the moment.

After fixing his pants as best as he could, Lloyd quickly got off the bed and found one of the room's complimentary towels and returned to the bed with it. Something made him want to help Zelos and handle the mess he'd made on his own, but he hesitated and simply handed the towel to him instead.

It was hard to make eye contact. He was afraid of finding out what Zelos was feeling. Before they began, Zelos told him that he was concerned that their relationship would change. He was afraid that it would be ruined. He was probably even afraid that he would hate him.

...But he could never hate Zelos. He really screwed up with the spell, but it wasn't the worst thing Zelos had ever done. No matter what he did, Lloyd had a feeling that he could find a way to forgive him every time.

“Are you okay?” he asked, sitting down at Zelos's side. He still couldn't bring himself to look up. “My head is feeling clearer now. The sun is just about gone now, but I don't think we'll have anything to worry about as long as you're feeling well.”

It took Zelos a moment. When he spoke, Lloyd was surprised to hear his usual attitude spring forward. “Yeah, looks like I'm all better! Phew, what a relief! Life's not worth livin' if you don't try everything at least once, right? So straighten up your shoulders, Lloyd – no reason to look all ashamed like that. I'll let you off the hook this time and I won't tell a soul about what happened here. It's our secret.”

He may have been trying to sound unbothered, but Lloyd wasn't convinced. It was a little too much, a little too soon. It felt like it all happened so quickly, but he could still vividly imagine the look that Zelos wore when he was laying beneath him. He'd looked so worried.

“Zelos, hey, I...”

“It's fine. Really,” Zelos said, attempting a laugh as he redressed himself.

Lloyd grabbed his arm and pulled him over, but he wasn't prepared for the look on his face. The same worry from before was still there. He should've expected as much, but it still caught him off guard and made him feel like he'd done something horrible.

Gently, Lloyd let go. “Listen, I... Don't take this the wrong way, alright? But after all of that, I don't think I'm going to be able to get it out of my head.”

Maybe that hadn't been the right thing to say. He had warned him not to take it the wrong way, though.

Disappointment settled in to replace the worry on Zelos's face. He tried to cover it with a smile, but it was obviously just bandaging the hurt he was feeling. “Looks like I'm going to pay for another one of my mistakes. Nothing new there.”

“You've got it wrong,” Lloyd insisted. He wanted to explain what he really meant, but even he wasn't quite sure what he felt. The only thing he could do was be honest. “I feel kind of weird and I'm confused, like maybe the spell's still stuck on me a little or something. All I know is that I... really didn't hate it. D-don't laugh, but... I think I might've enjoyed it?”

“Developing feelings for me, are you?” Zelos asked. It didn't sound like he was trying to tease him, though. It was more like he was seriously asking.

Folding his knees underneath himself, Lloyd looked away and scratched at his cheek. “I wasn't lying when I said I felt honored. For a while there, I felt like I was losing my mind and I was really afraid of doing something wrong, but you put me at ease. You trust me, don't you?” he asked, looking up, capturing Zelos's eyes. He wanted to make sure that he was listening. “Please, keep trusting me, Zelos.”

Zelos was obviously trying to hide his real reaction, forcing away a smile that Lloyd just barely caught. “What's that even supposed to mean?” he muttered.

There would hopefully be a lot of time for him to figure out what he was feeling, but Lloyd was anxious to get a head start. “Can I kiss you again, maybe?”

Eyes widening, Zelos gave him an incredulous look before he realized that he was totally, one hundred percent serious. Then his hesitating smile returned to his quivering lips.

Clutching the front of his vest, Zelos brought himself closer, nudging his knees against Lloyd's, and closed his eyes, tilting up his chin like he was waiting for Lloyd to be the one to make the move. Fair was fair. Lloyd had been the one to ask for it, so he was ready.

The sense of urgency was gone. There was just the feeling of Zelos's lips against his own and the realization that he was kissing Zelos – and it didn't feel like a bad thing.

Zelos was soft and warm and charming and goofy and...

Lloyd's heart was pounding.

Slowly, they pulled away from their kiss – a kiss that felt more like a first kiss than any of the others they'd shared that night. It was simple, but it left Lloyd's heart tingling with a pleasant feeling.

“I'm glad you're alive, Zelos,” Lloyd said, staying close.

Zelos grumbled tiredly. “It was my mistake, you idiot... Shouldn't you at least try to be angry?”

In light of what could have happened, all Lloyd could do was laugh. “I'll blame you if you really want me to, but we're both fine, you know? Isn't that what's important?”

“Jeez, you never change.” That must have been why Zelos was able to smile like his usual self again. “That's what makes you reliable, though. You're such a softie.”

When it was all said and done, things hadn't turned out too badly. Zelos was still Zelos, only in ways Lloyd hadn't noticed before. It might have been too soon to say, but it seemed like their relationship was the same as always, too. There were things about it that were already changing, but there were no changes they couldn't adapt to.

Lloyd laid down and made himself comfortable, snuggling his cheek into the pillow. The sun was already gone, so the room was lit simply by the light from the town that filtered in gently from the window. They made it. They were alright. He felt content to simply end their night on that note, feeling confident that he would wake up in the morning without any regrets.

“Lloyd,” Zelos started, staring at him. “Lloyd, this is my bed.”

Laughing to himself mischievously, Lloyd patted the open spot next to him. “Yeah, so? I don't take up too much room, do I?”

Although he continued to grumble about it, Zelos joined him with no further questions, laying down beside him.

As he drifted asleep, Lloyd was sure that he heard Zelos whisper a quiet 'Thank you'.


End file.
